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Geoffrey Harstad
Geoffrey Harstad (2309-2375) is currently the leader of the Liberal and Centre Union in Dorvik and is it's founder. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of NAAT, North Artania Air Transport, which is the second largest airline in Dorvik and one of the largest private international airlines. He currently lives in Piso Straits, Miktar with his wife and son. Early Life Geoffrey Harstad was born in Haldor, Kordusia in 2309 to middle class parents. His father worked as a middle manager for Vorke Automotive and his mother was a homemaker. In 2315, at the age of six, his father was hired by the Unified Dorvik Metals Corporation to be the manager for their mining operations in Eth, Miktar. Harstad grew up in Eth and attended university at Ost College. Business Career After graduating from univsersity Harstad returned to Miktar and borrowed money to buy a small plane to begin flights to isolated towns and villages in Miktar. These bush flights were often the only way to transport goods quickly into isolated villages in Miktar because of the inadequite road system in the county. Harstad's charter company was called North Artania Air Transport and after a few years he began expanding his reach by hiring other pilots and consolidating other small charter carriers into NAAT. In 2338 NAAT began flying commercial flights between Piso Straits and Trent City. The first international flight, between Piso Straits and Mygee in what was then Dorvish-Uwakah, began in 2341 and was often used by military contractors and civil officials for transport between the two countries. Expansion continued throughout the 2340s with further flights to destinations in Artania and, in 2349, the first transcontinental route between Langton and Darkuth, Davostan. This culminated in 2352 with both the IPO of NAAT on the Dorvik Stock Exchange and Geoffrey Harstad being named Entrepeneur of the Year by Dorvik Business Weekly. Retirement and Politics After 24 years as CEO of NAAT Geoffrey Harstad retired from the Chief Executive Officer position but remained on the Board of Directors citing his need to bring a new team into the top office. He later left the Board of Directors in 2360 in order to take up a position at the Piso Political Institute, a think-tank and research group that had been set up 4 years previously. While the Institute remained small it reinforced Harstad's desire to enter politics. While he was a traditionally a strong supporter of the Green Coalition he had been disillusioned by the policies of Natalie Howarth and the Social Green bloc within the GC(VU) and by the social conservatism of the New MPD faction of the Moderate Party of Dorvik. Further disappointed by the collapse of the Moderates in 2361 Harstad continued to delve further into his political activities and set the stage for the foundation of the Liberal and Centre Union. Founder and Party Chairman In 2365 Harstad brought together disparate groups of the political centre and the political right under the banner of the LCU. He considered a traditional liberal party, with a strong focus on both social liberalism and economic liberalism, was sorely needed in Dorvik. He continued to assemble the party throughout 2365 and early 2366 and secured former MPD backbencher James Haas to run for President. However when early elections called in October of 2366 it led the party into a state of disarray and shock. Unable to get out their message in full before the polls closed the party logged a horrible result, .06% of the vote, however Harstad only saw this as a bump in the road and continued to try and gain the party some visibility in Dovish politics. Harstad was vindicated in the next election where the LCU won nearly 14% of the vote and became the second largest DCMLU party. He continued to lead the party in the Dorvish Senate for the next seven years and helped the party grow and flourish. He was successful in giving the LCU its first cabinet posts and in securing James Haas the position of Vice President. Death Geoffrey Harstad collapsed in his house 10 days before the 2375 election, of an apparent stroke. While he was rushed to the hospital he was pronounced dead on arrival. This lead to a sense of chaos breaking out in the LCU and the party decided not to stand in the 2375 election in order to rearrange various leadership positions and honour their former leader. Category:Dorvish people